


The Life of a Victorian Collector

by Semyaza



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV), Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 16:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12461583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semyaza/pseuds/Semyaza
Summary: Written for a challenge in the LJ community 'drabble123' lo these many years ago and by one of my alternate identities.  The prompt was 'Mistaken'.





	The Life of a Victorian Collector

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: A knowledge of Charles Carrington and Victorian pornography is helpful. This one takes place c. 1896.

"Merry Christmas, Watson." 

"The same to you, my dear fellow," I said, turning the flyleaf of the book he had left for me on the breakfast table. " _Untrodden Fields of Anthropology: Observations on the Esoteric Manners and Customs of Semi-civilized Peoples._ " 

The blood rushed to my cheeks.

"Unless I'm mistaken," said Holmes, putting a match to his pipe, "there's a gap in your 'private case' after _Sins of the Cities of the Plains_." 

"As a retired army-surgeon I -- "

"-- must perforce be familiar with the _'aberrations of love passions in the Colonies'_ or, as that scoundrel Burton would have it, the Sotadic Zone. Quite so. I dare say a collection of curious books is more stimulating than the _Illustrated Police News._ Is Dr. -- What was the name again?" Holmes glanced at the page. " _Jacobus X_ , 'retired army-surgeon', correct that inversion is 'principally a question of race'? Your time in Candahar will have given you opportunity to test the assertion."

"I thought you knew next to nothing of literature," I said, in an attempt to turn the conversation. 

"Pshaw!" replied Holmes. "I could scarcely fail to note your correspondence with the _Librairie des bibliophiles_ or am I mistaken in that as well?"


End file.
